Only in a bad dream...The Feds have ordered all national forests, refuges (Mississippi River) and any other state land including all VPA, WMAs and parks the state has received past federal funds. i.e. PR funds. According to news reports this morning they ordered WI to enforce the closures. Fortunately the Governor told them to take a hike (my summary not his) there will be no closures and if the Feds ticket any WI hunter they will be charged with interfering with and harassing a hunter. Under the WI constitution we have a right to hunt amendment. Whew! that was a close one.This afternoon in an act of civil disobedience that would make David Thoreau proud I will be launching my canoe around a closed and guarded Mississippi River landing. Hey Feds - Catch me if you can. As a matter of fact I'm going to be hunting on a lot of Federal land until this B.S. closure is done.

later, charlie If you agree with me call it fact; if you disagree - call it my opinion. After all - we are talking turkey.

Stark said that hunting is permitted on the 1.5 million-acre Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. He made the clarification after contacting a law enforcement official with the U.S. Forest Service.

On the Mississippi River, although federal authorities have closed access points they control and shuttered other facilities, Stark said those who can gain access to the river by other means, such as state or private boat launches, can use the river.

This same BS is going on here in MN. Ruined my duck hunting plans for this weekend as the refuge we were going to hunt (Tamarack, up by Detroit Lakes) has been gated and closed until further notice. All federal lands (refuges and WPA mostly) are closed in MN. state lands are unaffected. More power to you Charlie, time for some civil disobedience.

I hunted yesterday afternoon using the Mississippi to access Federal land with no interference. WI had DOT crews out removing some of the barriers installed by the Feds. As the above linked article points out the Feds and State jointly control some access points and the state's attitude is the Feds are overreaching by ordering those areas closed.

The Feds have ordered all lands they think they control closed in WI. However, WI will not enforce the closures nor will the state allow any interference with hunters using any state or county roads. Since most Fed lands are surrounded by roads they don't have authority over-- Well catch us if you can prevails. There are many news reports of furloughed federal employees out grouse hunting on closed federal lands.

Every hunter will have to follow their own, what they are comfortable with, certainly we do not go hunting looking for confrontation. In 50 years of hunting with many federal government shutdowns during that time I do not recall the feds ever attempting to close a forest, field, river, lake or wetland.

Personally, I have no intention of changing any of my hunting plans. If I get a ticket, well that's just the price of freedom.

later, charlie If you agree with me call it fact; if you disagree - call it my opinion. After all - we are talking turkey.

Regarding the 1.5 million acre Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest; I called this office yesterday-500 Hanson Lake Road Rhinelander, WI 54501 715-362-1300

At that time they told me all lands were closed to the public and that I could not hunt on any federal land nor use the trails. Yet while I was told that- Paul Smith of the Journal Sentimental reported sightings of furloughed federal employees grouse hunting. Several other papers reported similar stories.

later, charlie If you agree with me call it fact; if you disagree - call it my opinion. After all - we are talking turkey.

A pretty unprecedented dilemma. As I understand it — and Paul's article indicated — federal land and access points are considered closed to hunting and other recreation. Fishermen and duck hunters can still use the National Wildlife Refuge portion of the Mississippi if they launch from non-federal access points. If they set foot on land, however, it would be considered illegal. I would assume the same holds true for waterfowl production areas. If you could access them via water and hunt the water, it's legal. Walking in, however, would be considered verboten. There's an interesting debate going on in North Dakota, which, of course, has loads of WPAs. Those federal areas are considered closed, but North Dakota's implied consent regulations would seem to indicate that those properties be properly posted to truly prohibit access. Does that trump federal law? Seems doubtful, but it's food for thought. At any rate, let's hope this ends soon.

Pro-Sportsman Legislation Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act.This provision protects the publics' right to engage in recreational hunting, fishing, and shooting on federal lands. It mandandates that land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service be open to recreational hunting, fishing and shooting unless specifically closed by the agencies.

Go get them charlie, I'll help you carry your canoe down to the river since we are in the same boat. I just returned home tues. from grouse hunting the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, there where a few other hunters up there hunting the same areas. The gates to the hunting areas were all open and no one said that any areas were closed to hunting, and I hadn't heard that any areas were closed, (no TV, radio or internet up there) until I returned home. I guess you can hit me with a stick for hunting those areas, but just be warned, I carry a gun so it better be a damn long stick .

Last edited by WillowRidgeCalls on October 4th, 2013, 1:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

If receiving P-R money is the criteria for closing, than most F&W areas in Indiana would have to close. Besides who is enforcing all these closures? I bet ALL the facilities at the capitol building are open for the over pampered "gentlemen" we elected to serve us. My employer was not told not to take taxes out from my paycheck this week.I will find out next week when I go to pick up my new deer gun just how bad the system works.

The Feds have backed off the closure in WI. They are still maintaining the access points they "own" are closed but all WI national forests and rivers are open. After hunting season we'll need to remember this sorry episode and address the idea that land which was purchased with PR funds, duck stamp and other license fees is some how owned by Feds. I beg to differ on this point. Happy hunting to all.

later, charlie If you agree with me call it fact; if you disagree - call it my opinion. After all - we are talking turkey.